


A Kiss with a Fist is Better than None

by Emanemmy12



Series: How Two Halves Become a Whole [1]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-03-01 08:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2766809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emanemmy12/pseuds/Emanemmy12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Shaw hurt Root so to make up for it she cooks for her, but she refuses to admit it. Root finds out." Another tumblr prompt. Consider this a prequel of sorts to where this series started.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Kiss with a Fist is Better than None

Most people wouldn’t have snuck up on a highly trained and deadly ex government agent. But then again, Root wasn’t most people. The thinking behind it was that she was going to surprise Shaw after being away for a long time. It had been easy enough to find her with the assistance of the Machine and luckily this time Shaw was alone. She reached out to tug the other women and suddenly found that her feet were no longer on the ground. Her back hit the ground with a thud and Root groaned. At that sound Shaw froze and though her body was still pinned, there was no further actions taken. “Root?” she demanded, spitting out the name like it was a curse. 

”Kiss kiss to you too,” Root replied. “Remind me next time that sneaking up on you isn’t the brightest idea.” 

Shaw glared and pulled Root up by the collar. “The fuck do you think you are doing? If you sneak up like that on me again, I will kill you,” she threatened. Root raised her hands in surrender and Shaw let her go, pushing her back roughly. Root carefully put her clothes back into place and raised an eyebrow at Shaw. It wasn’t like her to be this angry to see here. Usually it was just along the lines of mild annoyance. To her that made it seem like there was something wrong. “Get out of here.” The venom with which those words were delivered shocked Root. 

”Sameen, please, I am not sure what’s going on, but there is no need for this,”

She scoffed. “Of course you don’t know what’s going on. You are never here.”

Root raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. “For good reason, Shaw. I am doing the exact same work that you are doing only I’m not bound to one city.” Her temper was rising as Shaw was being completely unreasonable. Even if there was something wrong, there was no reason for her to act like this. 

”Just fucking leave.” Shaw shook her head and turned. She had been angry ever since Root had left. They had kissed and then Root had disappeared with no explanation. She was angry and confused as to why that had happened. Shaw knew that she was different and the kiss changed everything. It meant that Root wanted things. Things that she was incapable of providing. There was no way that she’d ever be able to care for or have affectionate feelings towards another person. She was angry for Root having complicated things. Shaw enjoyed their dynamic. The teasing she could handle with a few biting remarks, but their relationship had been something that was the closest to a female friend that she’d had ever. Sameen didn’t know why but men had always been a lot more easy to deal with. They hadn’t expected the same emotions that women did. To other women she was broken, incapable of being like them. She hated that a woman’s worth was based on her emotionality and her ability to keep relationships. It was all bullshit. She hadn’t thought that Root would put her in the category where she felt like she was missing something, like she was broken. But here they were and she was furious. “I don’t want you here.”

Root blinked and tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to form. She had let for so long to give Shaw her space. She knew that that one moment of irrationality on her part would have changed things. Root hadn’t wanted to push. Her heart wanted more, but their relationship had been enough. Sameen was just too important to her life to fuck it up with stupid sexual feelings. She shook her head. “Fine, I get it.” A tear fell and not for the first time, Root found herself wishing that she didn’t have to feel things just quite so strongly. Her gritted her teeth, refusing to show any more emotion than she had to. It was just like when they would tease her at school for being a freak or when her mom would yell at her for causing the electricity bill to spike. “See you around Shaw.” Root turned and walked away. 

It took a long time before that interaction started to weigh on Shaw’s mind. She found herself thinking about it at night after missions when there was nothing really else to do. She started to have second thoughts about what she had said to Root. Though the constant thoughts about Root did nothing to improve her mood. After a few weeks without seeing Root, Shaw finally came to the conclusion that she had been a bit hasty. Root had always been different. Pushing her without making it difficult. She had enjoyed their interactions and being on missions together. The time that they went to Alaska and then Miami was easily top ten of her adventures in the world. After a full month and a half, Shaw was seriously regretting what she had said. The other members of the team had seen Root, but for some reason she was being avoided. When she brought it up to either Harold or Reese, she got nothing expect for a small shake of the head. Eventually she concluded that perhaps she should apologize. But how was she supposed to do that when Root wouldn’t come within two feet of her. Clearly this was something that she had to take to the all seeing boss that she listened to religiously. Thought she felt completely ridiculous, that day Shaw went out and she found a security camera. She stared into it and waited, watching the red light until it blinked and then stayed still. She gritted her teeth and muttered out her request. “I want to apologize, tell her to come to my apartment on Saturday later.” That gave her time to prepare and Root time to acclimatize to the time zone if she had been out in the world. She knew that the Machine would get it to happen. 

That Friday, Shaw spent brainstorming on what exactly one was supposed to do when they were sorry that something they said. The internet was particularly useful. She decided that the best way was a nice meal, not store bought, or words. Shaw went for the food. She picked a recipe that should be too annoyingly difficult and sighed. Hopefully this would work. Honestly she missed seeing Root. Her friend was more important than that. Root had always been different. She shouldn’t have assumed that she would be the same as all those other people who wanted to change her and make themselves feel more comfortable. On Saturday she went to the store early in the morning and began painstakingly getting things ready. It wasn’t that she wasn’t confident in her ability to cook. It was just that she wan’t sure when the Machine would be sending Root and she wanted things to be perfect. Perfectionism was something of a character flaw. She was either the best at something or she didn’t do it at all. That why she had been a Marine instead of just regular Army. It wasn’t a surprise that once 7 rolled around her door opened. Shaw had managed to prepare a meal and get changed into a nicer dress before Root opened that door. It was almost as if Root knew why she was here. There was a pout on her face, but it twisted slightly when she saw Shaw. 

”I thought I was supposed to leave,” she said, still holding on to those words even though it had been so long. She knew it was childish, but the words had run deep. Shaw shook her head and walked forward, tugging Root into her apartment. Wordlessly she was pushed into a chair and a plate was procured and placed in front of her. Root glared, but the look she was given made her pick up a fork and take at least one bite. To her surprise it didn’t taste bought and it was…damn good. Shaw silently picked at her own plate and the pair ate in silence. The warm food settled in Root’s stomach and her heart silently let go of the rejection she’d felt.

Once the plates were empty and the pause too long, Shaw looked up. “Root, I’m -“

”I know, it’s ok. You don’t have to say it.”

”I’m sorry, Root.” Shaw finished anyways. It was important wasn’t it? “I was just… confused and I took it out on you.”

”I shouldn’t have pushed. Your camaraderie means more to me than anything else, I hope you know that.” Root gave a small smile and Shaw nodded. 

”Yeah. We’ll talk about what happened later?” Root gave a hum in agreement. “For now, uh, how about you tell me what you’ve been up to?” Shaw’s question was met with a grin and Root leaned back to tell Shaw about what’d she’d been doing and now what they needed to do together.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have a prompt send it along here: http://waitingintheflowers.tumblr.com/ask . Hope you are enjoying everything! Thanks for reading!


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